Megan Smolenyak of Roots Television (have you checked it out yet?) and Megan’s Roots World recently wrote a piece for the BBC’s Family History website, in association with their wildly popular Who Do You Think You Are? series. “Genetic Genealogy - What Can If Offer?” is a great article for anyone who might be […]
26 September 2007 – 3:00 am
A lot of people write me to ask me questions about genetic genealogy, and a few have asked if there are any books on the subject that might help them learn more about it. I thought I should provide a list of great reading material to help someone who might not have time to ask […]
12 September 2007 – 3:00 am
The DNA-NEWBIE mailing list is a great resource for people who are new to genetic genealogy or genetic testing in general. The list provides a forum for questions while promoting education and the sharing of ideas. I primarily use the mailing list to follow current trends or concerns in the field of […]
The results of a Y-DNA test are either a string of plusses and minuses, or a series of numbers. The plusses and minuses are the result of a SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) test and denote the testee’s Haplogroup, while the string of numbers are the result of a STR (short tandem repeat) test and denote […]
Welcome to edition #13 of the Gene Genie. There were many interesting and exciting submissions for this issue, so I hope you do a little exploring and learn something new about genes, personal genetics, and personalized medicine.
Splicing Genes. Let’s start off with something fun. I don’t know if we’ll ever try […]
In the past decade, scientists have repeatedly referred to ‘Mitochondrial Eve‘, the (hypothesized) source of mtDNA for all humans alive today. She is believed to have lived approximately 140,000 years ago in Africa. There is also ‘Y-chromosomal Adam‘, the (hypothesized) source of every living man’s Y-DNA. He is also believed to have lived in […]
I was recently interviewed by Hsien at EyeonDNA. She asked some great questions about the field of genetic genealogy, and I hope you’ll check it out.
I consider my new friendship with Hsien and other fellow bloggers to be one of the great successes of this blog, and I thank her for the opportunity […]
Often, at least at the current stage of genetic genealogy, DNA sequencing does not reveal enough information to identify a person’s particular Y chromosome or mtDNA haplogroup. The example I will be using in this post is Haplogroup E. Haplogroup E split into E1, E2, and E3 about 28,000 years ago. Current […]
The following is an interview with Katherine Hope Borges, founder of ISOGG (The International Society of Genetic Genealogy), done at the 2007 SoCal Genealogical Jamboree. ISOGG has about 5,000 members and is growing rapidly. ISOGG has MANY great services on their website, including the “Founding Fathers DNA Page”, and an up-coming Presidential […]
The Genetic Genealogist has been invited to be a member of the new genetics blogging group The DNA Network, founded by Rick Vidal of My Biotech Life and Hsien Lei of Eye on DNA. The group is “a network (double helix?) composed of life science enthusiasts with specialized views in areas such as genetics, […]
Do you have a burning question about genetics that’s been keeping you up at night? Ever wonder why the combination of red hair and brown eyes is so rare? There are two great resources currently available online for anyone who is curious about genetics.
AsktheGeneticist is a partnership between the Department of Human […]
1. You got those big blue eyes from your grandmother, but chances are you inherited less desirable genes as well. We inherit our DNA from our parents, who inherited it from their parents. Since we all possess genes that can cause or contribute to disease, knowing one’s DNA and family medical history […]
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you know that I am a strong proponent of genetic testing for genealogical purposes. I believe that when used correctly genetic testing can serve as a valuable tool in the genealogist’s toolbox.
A recent visitor found my blog with the search term “Is ‘genetic genealogy’ a […]
Want to know more about DNA, DNA replication, and mutations? Here are few videos that I thought might be helpful. Seeing a 3D animation of a biological process can be even more informative than reading about it.
1. DNA Structure I
2. DNA Structure II (a little more technical)
3. DNA Replication
4. PCR – Polymerase Chain […]
The Guardian, a newspaper based in England, recently published an article about genetic genealogy entitled “The appliance of science.“ It’s an interesting article that looks at the pros and cons of genetic testing for genealogical purposes.
The journalist quotes Chris Pomery, author of the up-coming book “Family History in the Genes: Trace Your DNA and […]
Yesterday we began to look at an email conversation I had recently with Jasia from The Creative Gene about genetic genealogy.
Jasia began by asking whether she should test both her and her mother’s mtDNA (I advised her no, because they would be the same sequence), and then we talked about testing her father’s mtDNA. […]
This week I had a terrific email conversation with Jasia from The Creative Gene about genetic genealogy. She left a comment on a recent post, Discovering My Maternal Roots, which asked:
“I’m a complete neophyte about DNA for genealogy. I’m wondering if there is any reason to test myself, and my mother. Since the […]
